The Commitment of a Prostitute

...someone told the king of Jericho, “Some Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” ³ So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab: “Bring out the men who have come into your house, for they have come here to spy out the whole land.”

 ⁴ Rahab had hidden the two men, but she replied, “Yes, the men were here earlier, but I didn’t know where they were from. ⁵ They left the town at dusk, as the gates were about to close. I don’t know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them.” ⁶ (Actually, she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them beneath bundles of flax she had laid out.) ⁷ So the king’s men went looking for the spies along the road leading to the shallow crossings of the Jordan River. And as soon as the king’s men had left, the gate of Jericho was shut.  Joshua 2:2-7 (NLT)

This past Sunday our pastor spoke on the commitment God has made to us...and, like a good church-going dooby, I find myself contemplating her words and seeing the different aspects of my life that the message applies to.  Then, because it's Christmas season, I was reading Matthew 1, just revisiting the birth of the Christ when I came to this part:

Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab).  Matthew 1:5 (NLT)

Rahab...hmm.  A prostitute...hmm.  In the lineage of Jesus...hmm.  Then the wheels got to turning.  Prostitutes aren't exactly the icons of commitment, yet there she is.  So, as is my wont, I looked up the story of Rahab in the Old Testament.

The Book of Joshua tells the story of Rahab, she was a prostitute. I don't know about you, but that grabs my attention pretty quick. I mean, why would God include a story about a prostitute in His Word? And not only is her story included in the Bible, but she's right there in the lineage of the Christ!

Now if that doesn't grab one's attention, nothin' will!

Rahab lived in a town called Jericho. The Israelites, led by Joshua since Moses had died, are preparing to overtake all the towns and people that occupy the land that God is giving to them--The Promised Land. Jericho is part of that land. Two spies are sent to Jericho to scope things out. Then Rahab makes a commitment.  She weighs out the risks and rewards then hides the men in her house so the king's men can't find them. Then, to top things off, she helps them escape after obtaining a promise that when they do come back and destroy the city, they'll keep her and her family safe.

OK. I have about a million questions at this point!

Why did Rahab help these guys? They were strangers to her. They were foreigners. Why would she risk her own life to hide them and then help them escape? 

How did the two spies know they could trust Rahab? How did they meet her? Some translations and scholars say Rahab was simply an innkeeper, so the spies obviously sought her out for a place to spend the night. But Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25 refer to her as a "prostitute." Now, I know a little about Biblical languages but I'm no Hebrew language scholar, and I don't have my resources with me right now, but I don't think the word for innkeeper could that easily be mistaken for prostitute. If both James and the author of Hebrews, who was by all accounts a very educated Jew, refer to her as a prostitute, then I'm inclined to go with them.

Anyway...Despite the dark life Rahab leads, she obviously has knowledge of God. In verses 8-13 she speaks of "the Lord" and knows about the Promised Land. When the spies tell her they'll save her if she'll let down a scarlet cord from her window--the same window she used to help the men escape--she does what she's told. 

The author of Hebrews credits Rahab with faith (11:31) while James calls her righteous (2:25). Then there is the indisputable fact that she is listed in the lineage of our Lord and Savior. 

How does a woman go from being a prostitute to being called righteous and being listed as Jesus' Great (etc) Grandma?!

These spies come into her home, her king is looking for them because they are from the enemy's camp and they're certainly up to no good.  Imagine that moment when Rahab had to make a decision - (I wonder if it was a difficult one for her).  She had a choice...turn these guys in - or protect them.  Then she made a commitment.

It changed the course of her life. 

It also changed the course of her loved ones' lives. Because Rahab was faithful and obedient and made a commitment to God, her entire family was saved (Joshua 6:22-24) while Jericho and its inhabitants were destroyed. 

This story begs a question.

Can I make the commitment of a prostitute?